Database Manager on May 30th, 2015:
Altered and relocated existing organ. Identified by Nick Lowery, based on personal knowledge of the organ. -- The following is taken from a copy of the 1992 Dedicatory Concert Program: <br>"The Wicks Pipe Organ that you hear today was built in 1952 as a five-rank home organ for a resident of Highlands, North Carolina. In 1954, the organ was moved to the Highlands United Methodist Church where it was used in weekly services until early 1991. It had become almost unplayable at that time and was abandoned. That church decided to replace it with a new 7-rank Wicks and it was removed to the Pipe Organ Sales and Service Co., Lithonia, Georgia, where it was dismantled and placed in storage.<br>Lewis Memorial Church contracted in March 1991 with Pipe Organ Sales and Service Co. to have the organ refurbished and enlarged. The organ has been fully rebuilt to include all new electronic components, new wind chests, electric motor relays, and other modern parts. It retains its historical character by using pipework from three other period organs. <br>Some of the pipes come from a large Moller organ that was in the Auditorium at Mercer University, Macon, Georgia. Other pipework comes from another Moller organ that was in use at the Citadel Square Baptist Church, Charleston, South Carolina. The Dulciana rank is from an Aeolian Organ. The eight foot Principal (Great Division) is of new Wicks pipework. Many of the pipes were returned to the Wicks factory in Highland, Illinois for revoicing and reconstruction so that they might fit in the two organ chambers to your left and right. What is important to note is that the 793 pipes now in this organ have all been revoiced to blend with each other. The tonal blend of the organ has been styled after an English Parish organ so commonly found scattered about the English countryside. This organ is believed to be the first and only pipe organ now located in a Columbia County (Georgia) church."